Greatest Fear
by WickedlyAwesomeMe
Summary: We all know that Hermione Granger is afraid of failing her tests and riding a broomstick. But really, those are not her greatest fear. Christmas fic even if Christmas ended already. DUE TO SOME DEMANDS, THIS IS NOW A TWO-SHOT.
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Greatest Fear**  
Author: **2booklover4**  
Language: **English, of course**  
Verb Tense: **Narrative past; dialogues in present tense**  
Form: **One-Shot**  
Genre: **Romance galore**  
Rating: **T (because I said so and just to be safe)**  
Ship: **Draco/Hermione**  
Summary: **We all know that Hermione Granger is afraid of failing her tests and riding a broomstick. But really, those are not her greatest fear. Christmas fic!

* * *

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's**

**A/N: Here's the edited version of my new story 'Greatest Fear'. Let us all thank tiger-eye-heart, my new beloved beta reader. I dedicate this to you! **

**Anyway, enjoy reading**

**

* * *

****Greatest Fear**

Everyone has fears.

That is a fact. Since all of us were made into human by the Most High, it was just necessary for us to fear something. It might be petty, plain, stupid, or great, but nevertheless, they could all still be qualified as fears.

Some hate it since it can be classified as ones weakness. Fear could make you panicky and irrational. It could make you do things out of desperation. It could make you do things that you might regret once you realized that what you did was just so, so silly and stupid.

Ronald Weasley, a Gryffindor 7th year, made his fear known to many - spiders. He absolutely loathed them. Any kind of spiders gave him the willies. Either normal spiders or Acromantulas found in the Forbidden Forest, they all freaked him out. He confessed his second year in Hogwarts that the real reason why he feared spiders was because his twin brothers, Fred and George Weasley, transfigured little five-year-old Ronnie's teddy bear into a spider. And thus, his greatest fear had formed. His whole class had been shown proof when a boggart turned itself into a giant spider in his third year. Weasley, transfigured

Neville Longbottom, Gryffindor and 7th year, had a fear that might be shared by many - Professor Severus Snape. The mere sight of him made him nervous to the point that he would mess up his potion. Well, he wouldn't be blamed. Potions Master Snape's piercing glare and biting insults were enough to send any poor person away from him, wailing. Again, Neville's boggart took the form of his Potions Master. Though, every time Neville cast the spell Riddikulus, old Sevvie would turn into a bloody homosexual one who liked accessorizing with Neville's grandmother's eccentric hat and red bag.

Mrs. Molly Weasley, the well-known Weasley matron, was a jolly person and, like the typical mother, she would scold her children for their own good if they were being naughty. Her heart broke when one of her sons turned his back on his family and her heart soared when, on Christmas Day, he returned back and patched everything up with them. Yes, just like a typical mother. And her greatest fear? Seeing her children and husband die. On the summer before the Golden Trio's fifth year, Mrs. Weasley encountered a boggart while Cleaning Grimmauld Place. Upon seeing it, it formed into her child's corpse that would soon change into another one and then another.

Remus Lupin was the favorite Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher of the Golden Trio. He would teach fascinating lessons, who content ranged from this to that. And his greatest fear surprised everyone (and of course, aroused some suspicions) – a full moon. Of course, it would have been understandable if

they knew that he was suffering from Lycanthropy, causing him to take the form

of a wolf every full moon.

Some minor characters also had their own fears. Like Seamus Finnegan. He feared seeing banshees. Parvati Patil, on the other hand, feared mummies, though, upon casting the Riddikulus charm, it would trip over its own bandages. Lastly, Dean Thomas feared seeing a hand that moved by itself. It

was just… disturbing.

And then, there was Professor Albus Dumbledore, hailed as one of the best wizards that the Wizarding World had ever seen. One might think that this old wizard feared nothing. But in reality, amidst the wise, cool, calm, and brave face of the great wizard was a secret, buried fear – seeing the corpse of his sister, Ariana Dumbledore. Apparently, he still hadn't forgiven himself for her death.

Lord Voldemort/Tom Marvolo Riddle/He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named/You-Know-Who/The Dark Lord/The-Bloody-Bastard was known as the worst wizard that the World had ever encountered. He was the one who caused fear towards the magical beings. But actually, Tommy also had a great fear – defeat and death. Apparently, though, his fear had already happened to him.

And then, there was Harry Potter/The-Boy-Who-Lived/The Chosen One/The Defeater of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He was just a typical boy who really had a great mission in the Wizarding World. One might think that his greatest fear was dueling with Lord Voldemort, but really, his fear was encountering a mere Dementor. But, he didn't fear the beast but the things that he could hear from it – his mother's screams and pleadings.

And lastly, there was Hermione Granger, the goody-two-shoes and the know-it-all of Hogwarts. She was hailed as the smartest witch of her age. Her boggart took form of Professor McGonagall telling her that she had failed her exams. Another fear of hers was heights, that was why she hated riding broomsticks.

But really, those were not her greatest fear.

Now, she could be found in the Astronomy Tower. She was seated on the stone floor, her back against the wall. Her knees were drawn to her chest, arms wrapped around them tightly. A blanket was draped around her shoulders as she watched the snowflakes gently fall from the dark sky. She should have gone

back to the Gryffindor Tower, knowing that she might die because of the cold, but she just couldn't bring herself to walk out the Tower.

She sighed and placed her chin on her knees, shivering slightly. It was stupid for her to slip out of the Gryffindor Common Room and leave her best friends with their significant others. But, the real reason why she walked out of her common room was the fact that Harry and Ron were busy with their girlfriends (Ginny and Lavender respectively).

She had been in the Astronomy Tower for quite a while now. It was funny that within that short span of time, she had been able to realize something… to realize what she did, in fact, have something that she greatly feared, and seeing her best friends happy with their lovers made her more afraid, causing her face to pale and lips to turn into a huge frown.

Hermione was busy contemplating and so, she didn't hear the footsteps that had just come inside the Astronomy Tower. She hadn't yet seen his pale blond hair, unusually disheveled (since it was almost always gelled back) and a frustrated look adorning his face.

Draco Malfoy did a double take upon seeing the current Head Girl huddled in a corner with only a blanket to shield her from the cold. "Granger, what the bloody hell are you doing here? It's freezing cold, for your information."

The brunette looked at him warily and sighed. "Well, what are you doing here?" she asked.

He frowned and approached her. "I asked you first, Granger."

She rolled her eyes. "I was here, thinking, when someone rudely interrupted my thoughts," she spat.

Draco glared. "Well then, I'm going to leave," he said, putting his mitten clad hands inside the pockets of his jacket.

"No wait, don't go," Hermione said, surprised at her pleading tone.

The blond raised an eyebrow and looked at her. In his mind, Hermione looked quite pathetic. It was obvious that she was freezing cold. Under her blanket, she was just wearing normal Muggle pajamas – white tank top and jogging pants. "Go back inside, Granger. You're killing yourself."

"Do you have a fear, Malfoy?" she asked him, ignoring his last statement.

Draco looked at her, surprised at her sudden question. But, he answered her nonetheless. "Of course I don't have, Granger. I am a Malfoy, remember that."

She scoffed. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched as he slid down beside her, mimicking her posture. "Well, that's plain rubbish, Malfoy. Everyone has a fear. Even your high and mighty ol' Voldie has one."

He looked at her, amused. "What are you on about, Granger?"

Hermione sighed and released a soft groan. "I just realized something today, Malfoy," she started, not really sure why she was telling her secret to a boy… let alone Draco Malfoy. "Funny how loneliness can make you realizes things."

"Finally realized that Weasley's a bastard?" he mocked.

The brunette rolled her eyes. "No, I just realized you are a bastard," she told him sarcastically. To her surprise, Draco Malfoy just smiled.

"I have a feeling you realized that way before, Granger," he told her. "So, what's your new realization?"

Hermione sighed and placed her chin on top of her knee again. "I realized… what my greatest fear is," she softly whispered. "With the upcoming war, I'm afraid this fear of mine will happen."

"You're afraid of death, huh?" he asked her, head tilted towards the night sky. "Don't worry, Granger. You're not alone. I'm… afraid of death too, you know." He looked at her and scowled. "Stop being so smug, Granger. All right, I admit, I'm afraid of something… I'm afraid to die. Happy?"

She just chuckled and shook her head. "Malfoy, I'm not afraid of dying. It's inevitable, remember?" She released a huge sigh. "I'm afraid of something else."

"Then, what is it?"

"Promise me you won't laugh," she said.

"I'm always laughing at you, Granger," he told her. "I can't promise that."

Hermione scowled. "Then, I won't tell you," she told him. "My God, I don't even know why I'm telling you all of this. Please, go away now, Malfoy. I swear I won't stop you."

Draco snorted. "Feeling very touchy today, eh?" he asked her, noting the fact that she was shivering. "And, I think you're the one who has to go inside, Granger. For your information, you're shivering. Again."

"I'd rather sit here and think," she said, tightening the cloak around her shoulders.

"Just tell me your greatest fear, damn it!" he exclaimed. "Let's make a deal, shall we? You'll tell me your fear, I won't laugh. If I kept the part of my deal, you'll go back to Potty and Weasley. Deal?" He stretched

out his right hand, waiting for her to shake it.

Sighing, Hermione clutched his hand and shook it. "Deal," she told him.

"Merlin, your hands are freezing cold," he murmured. Hermione just ignored him and looked at the falling snow. She then suddenly stood up, walking slowly towards the railing of the Astronomy Tower. Draco followed suit, stopping just a few inches behind her.\

"My greatest fear," she whispered, hair billowing, "is that I will die… without falling in love." She released a rueful sigh and turned around. She was surprised to see Draco standing too close for her own comfort. "You can laugh now, Malfoy. I know that my greatest fear is silly but really, it's true."

The blond bit his bottom lip and looked at her lips for just slightly too long. His right hand was suddenly caressing her cheek until it cupped her neck. He was pleased to feel goose bumps growing on her bare skin. He inched his face closer, his warm breath washing over the brunette's face.

"You want to know my greatest fear, huh, Granger?" he asked her huskily, eyes trained on her parted lips again.

To his surprise, Hermione suddenly closed the gap between them.

Draco, more pleased than surprised, wrapped his other arm around her waist and pulled her flush against his body. She was leaning against the railing, her back arched slightly. It was quite painful but she just didn't mind. Her hands were too busy running themselves through his hair.

The kiss was heated… passionate. Even the snow would burn because of its intensity. Soon, Draco was kissing her lips repeatedly. Hermione moaned against him, his lips attacking her jaw down to her neck.

Hermione's cloak fell to the floor, abandoned. Draco's body was doing quite a nice job of keeping her warm.

His lips found their way back to hers again. Hermione eagerly kissed him back, murmuring his name, his first name, softly against his lips.

He smirked and kissed her lips one last time before pulling away. Draco watched as she fluttered her eyes open, a dazed look on her face. He was proud to observe that her lips were swollen from their kissing session and her cheeks were flushed.

"My greatest fear," Draco murmured, tucking a stray strand of brown hair behind Hermione's ear, "is that if I… if I kissed the girl I liked the most, she wouldn't kiss me back at all." He watched as her cheeks flushed redder and her eyes widened in shock. "Glad you reassured me that won't happen at all…_Hermione_."

Hermione heaved a sharp intake of breath. Merlin, help her. Her name…him… He said her name. Not Granger. Not Mudblood. Not anything. Just Hermione. Plain Hermione. And strangely, her name sounded so beautiful rolling out from his mouth. The mouth that was just pressed against hers a few seconds

ago.

"Malfoy… what?" she asked, fingers immediately caressing her swollen bottom lip. "You… I mean, I - ." She stopped abruptly as a cold, biting wind angrily brushed itself against Hermione's bare shoulder as if telling her what she did a while ago was bad, very, very bad… and punishable. Yes, punishable.

To her surprise, Draco took off his thick and comfy-looking jacket. He then gently placed it around the brunette. Hermione tried to suppress her sigh of comfort though failed miserably. He pulled her towards him again and he just hugged her, his head buried in her brown tresses.

"Malfoy, please tell me, what… what are you doing?" she asked, horrified to discover that her eyes were misting.

"Don't… just don't," he whispered, kissing the place below her right ear. "You want to know my new greatest fear, Granger?" he asked.

The brunette frowned. He should have called her by her first name. "Please, just go… go back to your own Common Room," she begged.

Draco pulled away from her, his hands firmly yet gently gripping her shoulders. "Do you want to know my new greatest fear, Hermione?" he asked.

Hermione gasped. He had said it. Her name. Again. The brunette closed her eyes and was surprised when a tear slid down from her right eye. His thumb brushed it away as another tear slid down from her other eye. "Please, don't do this, Malfoy. Just, go back to your own Common Room and forget this had happened."

He placed his lips against hers again, this time kissing her slowly and gently. Hermione couldn't help but succumbed against his kiss. She was angry with herself because her knees instantly became weak and wobbly. "I'm afraid that this won't happen in the near future, Hermione," he said, forehead pressed against hers. "That's my new greatest fear."

The Malfoy heir then gave her one last kiss before completely pulling away from her. "Granger," he said, going back to his usual haughty, bastard-y, bow-down-to-me attitude. "Go back inside. You're killing yourself." And with that, he disappeared completely from her sight.

Oddly, Hermione felt empty. She hugged herself tighter, faintly smelling Draco Malfoy's cologne.

Tonight was strange. Everything was blissfully strange. Hermione had just decided to go to the Astronomy Tower so that she wouldn't witness the bloody, revolting lovey-dovey moments among her best friends and their girlfriends. She just wanted to be alone and think about things… but Draco Malfoy showed his bloody face and ruined this perfect, peaceful moment. He just had to kiss her… kiss her damn it! And then, he left her with a lot of things rushing in her mind.

'_So he likes me, huh?'_ she asked herself, fingers brushing against her lips again. Draco Malfoy just practically confessed that he loved her… liked her, rather. Love was too powerful. Love was too early to say. But still, he liked her… the girl he liked the most according to the blond. And strangely, those words made Hermione feel something different… something she had never felt before. Alive. Yes, he had made her feel alive. His brief kisses which held a lot of emotions, his warm and tight embrace, and the way his chin perfectly fitted on top of her head…

"UGH!" the brunette thought, clutching her head. She was turning into a sappy, hopeless romantic, silly little girl. _'Oh, he's making my blood boil,'_ she told herself. '_How dare he kiss me! How dare he hug me! How dare him! How dare him! How dare he leave me without explaining all of his weird actions! How dare him! How dare he make me feel those stupid feelings like a stupid little girl who just happened to have a new stupid crush.'_

Hermione calmed herself and bent down to pick up her discarded blanket. As she walked out of the Astronomy Tower, a new goal formed in her mind.

She had to reassure Draco Malfoy that his new greatest fear wouldn't happen at all.

**

* * *

****A/N: So, liked it? Loved it? Loathed it? Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.**

**A/N: Okay, due to some people's demands, I made a sequel to 'Greatest Fear'. Hahaha, I can't believe I thought of a sequel. I honestly thought it would only be a one-shot but, here I am, making the story a two-shot. I hope this would satisfy you. I mean, I read 'Greatest Fear' again and if I'm not the author, I would probably think the writer ended it with a small cliffhanger. **

**Anyway, just read it. Review after reading, by the way. **

**So, enjoy!**

**

* * *

**

It had been two weeks ever since that incident in the Astronomy Tower happened. And of course, for two weeks, Hermione Granger couldn't stop thinking about it.

Every meal time, her eyes would always land on a particular blond Slytherin, a contemplating look plastered on her face. Every class she had together with other Slytherins, her eyes always sought for him. Questions always flashed through her eyes, begging him mentally to at least look at her so that he could see how confused she was when he left her standing in the Astronomy Tower all alone.

Harry and Ron had already noticed the strange behavior of their best friend. Hermione, at first, was pleased since the two were at least showing their concern and not busy snogging and cuddling with their significant others. Not that she cared. Like what she had thought on _that day_, she was happy that Harry ended up with Ginny and Ron ended up with Lavender. But as days flew by, Hermione was starting to get irritated with their nosiness.

"Nothing's wrong with me, all right?" she softly snapped, her eyes narrowed at her two best friends.

Ron looked miffed. He turned red and then, without speaking, glared at his dinner. Hermione felt slightly guilty with the way she had snapped with her best friends. They were, after all, only concerned. _'But they're being too nosy already,' _she told herself.

Harry, on the other hand, released a long sigh. "Come on, Hermione. No need to snap at us," he said softly. Now, Hermione really did feel guilty for showing her irritation. "We're just worried at you. You just seem as if… something's bothering you."

The brunette sighed. At the corner of her eyes, she saw Draco Malfoy standing up from his seat and striding out of the Great Hall. Who knew a simple action like walking could look so graceful whenever Draco Malfoy did it? "I'm sorry," she said, now playing with the potatoes at the corner of her plate. "It's just that… NEWTs are coming and I'm all frazzled and nervous."

The-Boy-Who-Lived laughed and patted the redhead's arm. "See, Ron. I told you it's about NEWTs.. Why do you kept on insisting it's something different?" he asked.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Typical Hermione," he said. For some strange reason, it made Hermione quite offended. The youngest male Weasley looked at the brunette and shook his head. "Seriously, Hermione," he said. "NEWTs would start after _three more months_. No need to fret about them."

Hermione had to glare. "Unlike _others_," she spat, "I want to study earlier. Cramming and procrastination? Ha, and then what? Failure? No way."

The redhead flinched and guiltily looked at his dinner again. Harry, despite the fact that Hermione wasn't only talking to Ron, laughed.

The brunette just rolled her eyes.

"By the way," The-Boy-Who-Lived said, his eyes trained intently on Hermione's clothes. "Where did you get that sweater?" He was frowning at the color of the said garment – green. "I've never seen you wear those kinds of clothes before, 'Mione. And Merlin" – he grabbed her green sweater – "it not only looks expensive. It also _feels _expensive."

Hermione blushed and looked at the sweater now protecting her from the cold. It was the same thing Draco had given to her on _that day_. Unconsciously, she caressed the soft material. Of course it was expensive! It was, after all, a Malfoy's possession (though, given to her).

The brunette couldn't understand why she kept on wearing this jacket Malfoy had given her. She had a huge bundle in her own trunk. But strangely, she still chose to wear it every time she went to classes. The reason she kept on telling herself was that of all the sweaters she owned, his sweater made her the most comfortable and warmer.

'_Yeah right,' _she softly snorted, receiving curious looks from both of her best friends.

Buried deep down her brain, she knew her real reason.

She needed a proof that _that _did happen in the Astronomy Tower. And, Malfoy's jacket was enough proof that the ki – ahem – _that _had happened.

Hermione played with a loose strand from the said sweater. Whenever she wore it to classes, she could feel Malfoy's eyes burning holes at the back of her head. And, _they _always made her uncomfortable. One time, she told herself that she wouldn't wear his sweater for a day. Too bad, once the bell rang, signaling lunchtime, she immediately ran up to the girl's dormitory in the Gryffindor common room and retrieved the sweater.

The Gryffindor brunette couldn't believe that she would be so attached with his sweater.

As her eyes landed on the spot where Draco was occupying awhile ago, her mind drifted back to that same event exactly two weeks ago.

Her greatest fear… _his _greatest fear.

"_I'm afraid that this won't happen in the near future, Hermione." _

Hermione blushed scarlet. He was, of course, talking about the ki – ahem – _that_. That was his greatest fear, he told her. And she couldn't forget the goal she formed in her mind – she would someday reassure him that his greatest fear wouldn't happen at all.

She sighed and poked a slice of her potatoes then placed it inside her mouth.

She had tried to corner Draco but every time she saw him, he would just miraculously disappear and mingle with the crowd. It was easy for Hermione to spot him. Blond, tall, and haughty. But whenever she tried to approach him, an acquaintance of his would appear and start talking to him. Hermione knew that she shouldn't risk talking to him in front of an audience for the sake of his reputation and _her _reputation.

The brunette glared at her dinner and tightened her grip with her fork.

Yes, someday, she would confront Draco Malfoy.

**

* * *

**

And finally, that blessed day came.

"I cannot believe I lost track of time!" the brunette whispered furiously as she hastily returned all books (fifteen books, to be exact) of their right places. Madam Pince was nowhere to be found already, probably sleeping in her quarters.

Hermione had five more minutes before curfew once she was done with her little errand. Without further ado, she stuffed all her belongings inside her bag and rushed outside the doors of the library…

… only to collide hardly against the person she was trying to hunt and desperately wanted to talk to.

"Oomph," she said, her chest bumping with a hard one. "Whoa," she muttered, loosing balance. Luckily, the person she bumped into held both of her hands and pulled her before her rear end completely hit the hard, stone floor. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," she hastily said. "It's just tha - ." The words died down from her mouth as she completely saw the face of her savior.

To say that Malfoy was surprised was an understatement. In fact, Hermione thought she caught sight of a hint of panic that flashed through his grey eyes. Though, an unreadable expression was now plastered on his face. "Be careful," he warned before completely releasing her hands. He shifted the black knitted scarf wrapped around his neck before striding away from the stunned brunette.

Before he could completely disappear from her sight, Hermione turned around. "WAIT!" she shouted, a determined look on her face.

Draco froze. Slowly, he turned around and stared at the Gryffindor.

There it was again. Panic. It flashed through his eyes and Hermione didn't fail to notice it.

Taking a deep breath, she said calmly, "Malfoy, we need to talk."

She waited for his reply in tensed silence. The unfamiliar expression he was adorning awhile ago became present once again.

And then, he released a long, defeated sigh. "All right."

**

* * *

**

Hermione brought him once again in the Astronomy Tower. She mentally cursed herself for not choosing an empty classroom for this little rendezvous. But then, she knew that the Astronomy Tower was the last place the patrollers always checked. So, even if it was past curfew, Hermione knew they could still talk for a few minutes before getting caught.

So, here they were, snow gently falling from the sky. Hermione gripped the railing of the said tower tightly, her eyes never leaving the snow-covered Quidditch Pitch. Draco was silently standing beside her, his hands buried deep down his pockets.

Now that they were here, the brunette didn't know what to tell him first. Questions were still rushing through her meddled brain. And they were a lot so, she couldn't think of what to say first.

A cold, biting wind blew and instantly, Hermione shivered. Even if she was wearing a sweater (Draco's sweater, to be exact), the brunette had forgotten to wear her scarf. And so, when the wind blew against her exposed neck, she still couldn't help but shiver from the cold.

"You're cold."

Hermione jumped an inch or two in surprise. It was the first time she had heard him talk after she had dragged him in the Astronomy Tower. Blushing (and cursing her blushing), she looked at him at the corner of her eyes. He wasn't looking at her but the brunette could notice the frown plastered on his pale face.

"Y-yes," she stuttered, wishing it was only because of the cold.

Sighing, Draco faced her and shook his head. "Granger," he said, unwrapping his black scarf around his neck, "if you want to have some meetings outside while snowing, always remember to wear something _warmer_. Honestly, you're killing yourself."

Without her permission, the blond wrapped his scarf around the stunned Gryffindor. After doing his small work, he nodded his head for his accomplishment before looking straight ahead once again.

Hermione blinked her eyes rapidly then shook her head to compose her self. It was the second time Draco Malfoy… _Draco Malfoy _had given her a piece of his clothing so that she could be warmer.

"Th-thank you," she said, blushing scarlet once again as she gripped the railing of the Astronomy Tower. _'Okay, get a grip, Hermione,' _she berated herself. _'Merlin, you're just talking with a _boy. _You've done that countless times.' _

But of course, Draco Malfoy was not just any other boy out there. He was the boy who stole her first kiss.

With that thought, her cheeks flared again. "Umm," she started, starting to unwrap his scarf from her neck. "Seriously, Malfoy, quit giving me your things. First your sweater, now your scarf. I'm giving them back."

He looked at her incredulously. "No, keep it. It's yours," he said.

Blinking, Hermione released a laugh. "_Of course_," she said.

Draco frowned at her. "Of course what?" he asked.

"_Mudblood germs," _she spat, slight fury building in her system.

Now, it was Draco's turn to blink at her. One corner of his mouth lifted in amusement. "You still think I believe in that… that _rubbish_, Granger?" He shook his head then averted his gaze away from her. "Seriously. I've grown, all right. There's not such thing as a _Mudblood _to me anymore."

Hermione looked sheepishly at the railing without a word. Of course. Ever since the start of the school year, Draco never called her _Mudblood _anymore.

She looked back at him in surprise when she had heard him release a long sigh. "All right," he said, now looking at her in frustration. "If you're not going to talk, then I'm outta here. You're wasting my time."

The Gryffindor looked offended. "All right, I'm sorry," she said, slightly glaring at him. "I'm so sorry for not knowing what to say first because of my bloody meddled brain."

Draco looked surprised with her outburst. But then, he flashed her an amused smirk. "Feeling very touchy today, eh?" he said. Instantly, she felt a wave of déjà vu. He had told her _exactly _the same thing on _that _day.

"Why did you kiss me?" she spluttered out. Her cheeks grew hot when he looked at her, surprised.

"Excuse me?" he asked, running a hand through his slightly damp blond hair.

Despite her nervousness, she glared at him. "You heard me," she softly growled. "Why did you kiss me?"

This time, the panic was now clearly plastered on his face. Also, he looked defeated. "I was hoping you'll forget that ever had happened, Granger," he confessed.

"And thus, avoiding me," she accused, still glaring at him.

"Hey, hey," he said, raising up his arms in surrender. "No need to get mad. It's for the sake of my reputation and _your _reputation."

Hermione exhaled loudly, her bangs flying upward then back to her forehead. "Now look no one's around," she said, gesturing at the whole tower. "Now, spill. Tell me. Why did you kiss me?"

He glared at her. "You can't tell me what to do," he said.

"Tell me. _Damn it_," she said through gritted teeth. As he stared at her brown eyes, he could see confusion and _desperation_.

"I think it's obvious," he told her.

Hermione groaned in frustration. "Obvious, yeah right," she spat, now glaring at him.

He sighed in frustration. "And here I thought I'm talking to _the _Hermione Granger," he muttered which Hermione had perfectly heard. "It's bloody obvious, Granger. Very, very obvious."

Hermione looked indignant. "Well no, not for me. It's not ob - ."

"I'm attracted to you," he said, cutting her off from her sentence. Two pink patches formed on both of his cheeks.

"E-excuse me?" Hermione stuttered, eyes wide and mouth agape.

"You heard me," he said, now smiling as he shot back the sentence she had just told him. "I'm attracted to you.

The brunette blushed darkly. And Draco wondered how she had managed to do that since he had never seen a person blushing so darkly in his life before. He watched in surprise, though, when the brunette looked at him, her eyes dangerously narrowed. Though, she was still blushing. "Yeah right," she snarled. "Quit humoring me, Malfoy. I want to know the truth now."

He raised one perfect, blond eyebrow. "You don't believe me," he said. He didn't look surprised at all.

"But… but…" Hermione exclaimed. "I mean look at me, Malfoy. Head to toe," she said, gesticulating at herself wildly. "Look at me. I'm a _geek_. Everyone thinks that Hermione Granger, bookworm extraordinary, is just another ordinary girl out there. Look at me and tell me, _honestly_, what do you see?"

"Beauty," he stated matter-of-factly, as if it was the most obvious thing in the whole wide world. He said it almost inaudibly but Hermione perfectly heard it.

Her eyes widened once again. Her jaw dropped and her wild hands froze in mid-air. It fell limply against her side. Because of surprise, her knees slightly gave away and to keep upright, she had to grip the railing of the Astronomy Tower once again. "Seriously?" she asked, breathless.

"Seriously," he said strongly.

"I… I don't believe you," she said softly. "Beauty? Me? They never belong to the same sentence. Unless, you're telling me, _'You do not possess beauty, Granger'_."

Draco sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "What's the point of telling you things, the _truth _in fact, when you're not going to believe me at all," he said warily. "I'm out of here." He turned around, his back now facing away from Hermione, then walked towards the doors of the Astronomy Tower.

Strength rushed back into the brunette as she watched him go. "Oh no, oh no no no," she said. "Don't walk away from me again, Draco Malfoy."

"Oh yeah?" he said, without halting. "Watch me, then."

"You told me your greatest fear," she exclaimed. At the mention of 'fear', Draco stopped walking. Hermione bit her bottom lip then pushed herself away from the railing. She took three steps forward. "You told me your greatest fear," she repeated, this time a little soft, "and I… I want to reassure you that won't happen at all."

She heard his sharp intake of breath and despite her red cheeks and nervousness, Hermione continued bravely. "You stole my first kiss from me," she said croakily. She cleared her throat. "And I… I want it back."

He slowly looked back at her, an amused look plastered on his face. Hermione couldn't blame him at all. It sounded cheesy, even to her. But, if being cheesy was the only way to make Draco Malfoy know that she wanted to feel his lips pressed against hers once again (very, very _badly_), she would do it.

His amused expression was replaced by an unreadable expression on his face. The only thing Hermione was able to understand on his face was his wild eyes. The brunette had seen his eyes like that before every time they were insulting each other. But, for some reason, it was quite different from before. And Hermione felt slightly nervous.

In five big strides, Draco was now standing in front of her. He bent his head down until his wild eyes were leveled with hers. "I'll return it," he whispered, voice sounding husky. The next thing the brunette knew, she was once again kissing Draco Malfoy.

He wrapped an arm around her waist tightly. His other hand was buried deep among her brown tresses. He was kissing her, hard and passionate. Hermione whimpered at its intensity, her hands gripping the front material of his sweater. Her knees were turning into jelly and she was desperately clinging into him. His other arm traveled down her waist. Both of his arms then squeezed her tight, telling her through his actions that he didn't want to let go of her.

Hermione's arms then traveled up to his face until her hands were pressed against her cheek. She didn't want to let go, either, but both of them were humans. And humans needed _to breathe_. She pulled his face away from her, thus, breaking their kiss.

Draco groaned, reaching for her face and wanting to kiss her once again.

The Gryffindor, despite being breathless, managed to release a soft laugh. "Easy there," she said, pressing her forehead against his. "We need to breathe, remember?"

The blond's eyes fluttered open and scowled at her. "Unfortunately, yes," he said. He released a soft groan then buried his face in her hair. "You have no idea how much I yearned for that, Granger."

Hermione blushed but smiled at him slightly. The brunette pulled his face away from her hair and then, she gave him a peck on the lips. And then another. And then a third. On her fourth peck, Draco released a soft, strangled moan. And so, on the fifth, Hermione gave him a long, hard one.

When she pulled away, both of them were panting once again. "I stole five kisses from you," she said, humor evident on her eyes. "If you want to claim them back, just approach me."

She completely pulled away from him, not failing to notice the amused look he was shooting at her.

Hermione then strode away from him towards the doors of the Astronomy Tower, a satisfied smile seen on her face.

"Granger," Draco said, stopping her completely from walking.

The Gryffindor stopped walking then turned around, now facing him.

He shot her a small, charming smile then said, "Here, tomorrow at nine pm."

Hermione gave him a big, wide smile. Both knew what he was talking about.

"Okay," she said.

For a moment, he became a picture of pure bliss. Standing there, looking so handsome and charming while snow was clinging to his body, Hermione thought seriously that she had never seen such beauty in her life before.

Unbeknownst to her, Draco was thinking exactly the same thing as he stared at her.

As Hermione walked out of the Astronomy Tower, she was thinking silently of her greatest fear. It was painfully obvious Draco was attracted to her and, she finally surrender to the idea that, for some strange reason, she was attracted to him, too.

Like what she had thought before, thinking about love between the two of them was too early to say. But, she had a great feeling he would reassure her… _someday_… that her greatest fear wouldn't happen at all.

They did meet in the Astronomy Tower on the same day. And, in actuality, words were never enough. And so, they just expressed their feelings with each other through actions.

And, let's just say, the meetings of Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger became frequent.

**

* * *

**

**A/N: Um, if you spotted some grammatical errors or things like that, ignore it. Hahaha, I have no beta reader for now, so please bear with , oh yeah, sorry if you didn't like the ending that much. I'm kinda rushing right now.  
**

**Reviews are greatly appreciated. Mehn, after 11 Things, I kinda missed receiving reviews in my inbox. So, *hint* *hint* *nudge* *nudge* **

**Hahaha, so ciao for now! :D**


End file.
